From my experience with shakes/shingles, I agree. Nothing uglier than
streaky black & cedar colored shingles. Also agree that solid stain is the
best answer.
One thing I have found - there is an underlayment now for cedar
shakes/shingles that lets air circulate behind & under the shingle so they
dry out much quicker and are far less prone to the black mold and green
mildew so common in those applied directly to a plywood underlayment panel.


"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
They turn almost black or a deep brown that isnt even and looks bad ,
worn. Me I stain, but I have rott and some replacements are necessary.
New cedar sealed with transparent stain can look good for years, but its
alot of work . Eventualy solid color stain is the best option. Paint
peels and holds water stain doesnt, when shakes peel its a real PIA to
scrape properly.